Queen Game
by mizayu
Summary: Rima Mashiro is forced to become one of the five rulers of her country, known as Guardians. Why, she has no idea. While struggling she meets a mysterious girl named Nadeshiko, who should have taken her place as the new Queen. And what kind of secret does the new Jack hold? Soon Rima notices that she is facing huge problems.
1. 1 Her

Chapter 1

I leaned against the wall pulling the hood more and more over my face, trying to stop breathing. I kept checking that my curly, golden hair was completely hidden. If anything, that would bust me immediately. But only, if someone saw it. There was no problem if nobody would.I looked left and right one more time and crossed the street. There it was, right in front of me; the theater. I went to see all kinds of boring dramas and showy art performances there. I hated them.

I kept my eyes in the huge, decorated door of the theater. One showy art performance was on at this very moment. A d _ance_ performance, to be exact. The Fujisaki family. They were one of the most well-known and most respected families in the country. I found it weird that I had never seen their performance. Not that I had anything against it, though. I didn't like dance that much.

But then why was I sneaking behind the theater, looking for the back door just to meet one particular member of that dancing family?

" _I have a good reason_ ", I kept repeating to myself. " _This is not just rebelling_."

My parents would run around the town like two headless chickens if they noticed that I was gone. But they wouldn't. Today, as always, they would be working late to provide us. And to avoid each other.

I shook my parents off my mind. There was something much more interesting right in front of me; the back door. I laid my hand on the handle and pushed it down, trying to open the door. It was locked. And right at that moment I realized that my plan was very incomplete.

I was stupid as hell. _Damn idiot_. They would never keep the door open when such a remarkable family was in the building. And if they did, how would I know which Fujisaki was the one I was looking for? From the posters I had seen they all had pale skin, they were tall and had straight, silky black hair.

And most definetely they would kick me out immediately. I was a random girl who snuck in from the back door, trying to hide my identity.

I sat down on the street next to the door, suffocating the desire to kick the damn door open. What was I doing? Why? _Yep, definitely rebelling_ , a mean voice in the back of my head mocked.

To prove myself wrong, or right or whatever, I had to remind myself why I had snuck out of the house exactly tonight.

" _In this country, we have five rulers,_ " I told myself. " _King'_ _s Chair_ _, Queen'_ _s Chair_ _, Jack'_ _s Chair_ _, Ace'_ _s Chair_ _and Joker'_ _s Chair_ _. They start to rule when one of the previous five dies or is unable to do their job. All five rulers change if one does._ _The position usually passes down from a family member to another, but if there isn't any heirs that fulfill the criteria, the family will be switched and position will be given to another person._ "

I sighed. I didn't even remember the criteria or the history of this weird tradition. Everything I knew was that the rulers were called Guardians because their duty was to protect the country, and that the new Guardians must be age 16-18 when they start. I wasn't sure why was that, I thought it was careless to leave the country in the hands of five kids. It probably had something to do with the myth behind the whole thing, which I, of course, didn't remember.

And yet it was extremely ironic for me to even think so. I should be the one defending the system at all costs; in thirty days, I would be the new Queen.

My family didn't have any former Guardians. We were just a little below average in money. And for some reason, they picked me to follow in the footsteps of the previous Queen.

When the letter arrived, my parents almost dropped their eyes. I don't know if either one of them actually wanted to ask me to stay at home. The Guardians must live at a building known as Seiyo. They controlled everything from there. When I was gone, my parents would have to stand each other without me.

I'm rather sure there won't be any difference, though. When my parents were in the same room due to some navigation mistake, they usually fought too intensively to notice if I was there or not.

I glanced at the back door again. I was so very unlike the Fujisaki family. They were not only one of the most, if not the most respected dancers, but they also had political influence. Two former Queens were both Fujisakis. Sadly, Queen Izumi didn't have a daughter to take over in her place. But it was well known that she did have a child. Queen Izumi never revealed any details about her child, not even gender. It was known that the child did perform dancing, but every year many pale-skinned, black-haired Fujisaki brats started performing, it was impossible to tell which one had Queen Izumi's jawline.

But I had found out more. Immediately after figuring out that I would be the future the Queen, I started to look for information about my future colleagues. Especially the Jack. The Guardians are not allowed to meet each other before they take control over the country. But of course I wanted to know what kind of people I would have to work with. Especially Jack.

Even inside the Guardians, who were the top of the country, there was something like roles. As a citizen I wasn't supposed to know this, but I couldn't avoid the rumors. And the Jack was the servant, the protector, the trusted one. For the Queen, especially. Many Queens and Jacks had married in the past. Was it so weird if I was interested to see my future lapdog?

It was rumored that even if it should be technically impossible, Fujisakis got Izumi's son in the position of the new Jack. Manipulated and blackmailed whoever decides about it, in other words, not that anyone would say that out loud. And that's why I was sitting on the empty corner of the street at night, thinking that I was a total fool.

A squek brought me back to this world from my self-blame. Before I could stand up and run, the back door opened. I didn't know what to do so I pretented to be invisible against the wall.

The door closed. I looked at who had stepped out. The person had their silky, black hair in a high ponytail, decorated with flowers. Her clothing seemed reduced from what I had seen in posters promoting dance performances; this person was only wearing a long, white dress and a big lavender scarf around her shoulders.

The person let out a small sigh. She moved away from the door, luckily not to my side, and leaned against the wall. There she stood, staring at the wall on the other side of the street only a couple steps away.

I couldn't get my eyes off of her, even though I couldn't see her properly in the dark. I could see that she was beautiful, just like Queen Izumi. When I was sitting in the street, my own scarf as a hood over my face, staring at her like a stalker, she suddenly turned her face towards me.

She almost gasped when she saw me, but for some reason she seemed to swallow it. I didn't know why. If I was her, I would scream for help. I quickly jumped up, letting the hood fall down.

"I'm not a stalker or anything, there's no reason to freak out!" I said convincingly.

The girl looked at me with her eyes widened. Then she cracked a small smile.

"If you're not a stalker, who are you?" her voice was soft and gentle.

I gulped. She was from the Fujisaki family so she should know how important some things could be, right? But for the same reason there was a possibility that she was excellent at manipulating.

"You can call me… Mari." I said quickly. That was probably that dumbest thing I've ever said but revealing my real name would be a risk.

When the new Guardians were to be revealed in 30 days, she would notice that the new Queen is not only my copy but her name resembles mine alarmingly much.

She smiled a warm smile.

"My name is Nadeshiko. I perform here." she nodded towards the theather.

"I thought so." I nodded too. "Your clothing is very different from what I've seen in the posters, though."

"Oh, in the posters we always have the most magnificent outfit of the performance. We use multiple for one. This isn't for a performing, though. I needed some air. I won't be going on stage for a long time so it's fine. But they're probably looking for me anyway."

"You ran away?" I nearly smiled at how carefree she was.

"I needed air." Nadeshiko repeated, still smiling. "But why are you here, if you don't mind me asking? This is kind of a peculiar place to spend a night, and uncomfortable too."

"It's quiet here, no people to bother me!" I said. Then I remembered why I actually was there and sighed.

Nadeshiko looked at me kindly.

"You can tell me."

I shook my head. I almost felt bad for rejecting her offer. Her tone and the look in her face was so kind and understanding that for a second I just wanted to tell her all the worries of my life.

"No, I can't."

"Well, I suppose you shouldn't trust strangers." she winked and I smiled at her in return.

I couldn't tell the whole story to Nadeshiko; but I could try asking about the new Jack's Chair at least. I had to!

"So, you perform here so it's fair to suppose that you're from the Fujisaki family. Do you happen to know if the rumors are true?"

It might've been my imagination or the darkness, but I thought I saw her smile getting less carefree. She still replied with enthusiastic tone.

"What rumors?"

"You know, the rumors..." I had to be sneaky. I leaned towards Nadeshiko, lowering my voice. "That the new Jack is in fact Queen Izumi's son."

She quickly straightened her back as I whispered my secret to her. All of sudden, Nadeshiko looked really nervous. She still managed to smile when she spoke.

"Queen Izumi keeps us out about the political matters. It is also her duty. Honestly, I don't know about that."

I wouldn't give up so easily.

"Oh. But do you know him?"

"Who?"

"Queen Izumi's son!" I smiled my sweetest smile of a devil.

Nadeshiko gulped. Then she managed to smile again. Everything in less than a split of a split second. How did she do that.

"I don't think he would make a very good Guardian, to be honest."

"How come?"

"He's unreliable and socially a little bit inept. That doesn't make a good ruler, right?"

That was better be a bad joke. Both the rumor and what Nadeshiko just said. I didn't want an unreliable lapdog.

"What's his name?" I wanted to know.

"How do I know you're not publishing this somewhere? Maybe you're from some magazine." She giggled at her own joke.

"You know that's forbidden. If someone leaks any information about the future Guardians, they will be punished." I repeated what I had read somewhere. "It's… just important. But I can't tell you why. I totally sound like a paparazzi." I added muttering. Then I got my pride back. "If he's not the Jack's Chair, it shouldn't be important, right?"

Nadeshiko smiled her kind smile. Suddenly she grabbed my both shoulders and leaned close.

"I will tell you but it must be a secret, okay?"

I nodded slightly. I was afraid to move too much or events could take a very awkward turn.

" _Na-gi-hi-ko_." She whispered. Then she let go of my shoulders and turned me her back. "I will go now before they will turn the whole theater around because of me. See you, Mari."

"Um, wait." I said. She turned around. "How are you two related?"

She smiled and winked.

"He is my twin brother." with that, she walked inside and I was left on the street. I could feel my jaw dropping.


	2. 2 Worker Bee

I lived in a town that was located next to the largest sea of them all. That's what my grandmother told my mother while raising her, and that's what my mother whispered in my ear when I was a child. The fishermen's cursing woke me up early in the morning, mixed with the salty scent of the sea, the waves hitting the stony barriers at the harbor. From my window in the third floor I was able to see the awaking harbor, ships sailing and arriving, an old woman trying to sell the same rotten fish every day, working citizens.

When I moved in our rather modest apartment with my mama and papa, I demanded to have this room solely for that reason; the sea, dawn, sunset. As the years consumed the romanticism I used to see in the harbor, eventually what I had left when I woke up in the morning to the sailors slandering whoever they were arguing with that particular morning and seeing the beautiful dawn, was fatigue. Now I saw the harbor as it truly was; nothing that special, a place in the nation where people lied and shouted.

Going down from the third floor and walking amongst the citizens might have been an important factor, too, as for how I saw the town. Six months ago my mornings became earlier and a stuffy stink got permanently stuck in my clothes; papa found me a job as a helper in the weaving mill. For the most part my job wasn't physically challenging; I carried cotton, yarn or cloth around, I was asked to bring this or that to someone because they forgot, sometimes I weaved. My days, however, were long, and I came home exhausted. But I was proud to participate in providing the family. As sending me to school was no longer possible, I wanted to give my everything in order to help my parents.

That being said, when the letter arrived with all the other letters, I suddenly remembered the romanticism of the harbor again. That night I didn't just fall asleep as usual, I sat in front of my tiny window, staring at the harbor as I used to do years ago. Even though the sun set and people got less, the harbor was never empty. The weird, old woman sold her rotten fish to no one, ships sailed, some fished. The next morning I walked to the weaving mill amongst my own people; it was ridiculous how different it felt just because of words written on a piece of paper with ink.

But again, the time did its' cruel tricks and eventually the beauty of nostalgia faded, leaving nothing but the fear after itself. When I woke up and looked outside I thought: _'I will never see this again.'_ When I walked on the street all I could think about was _'I will never walk here like this again.'_

All because that devilish letter arrived and placed the heaviest pressure on my shoulders.

That letter contained the identity of the new Queen's Chair. _Rima Mashiro, You have been chosen…_ I wanted to tear it, burn it, make the words written with ink disappear, together with their consequences. But that would be childish, of course. Even if I burned the words, nothing would make my newly written fate disappear. And that made me very distressed.

Mama and papa embraced me delighted when they read the news. There has never been a Guardian in our family, I would be there first one, which made choosing me even more peculiar. But the main reason of their rare bliss was that my salary would develop our financial situation drastically. The words _'...the Guardians live in the Seiyo-building in order to manage their responsibilities easier.'_ were easily ignored.

Even though I wanted to help my parents, participate as a grown-up daughter, I didn't want to become a Guardian. I had no idea how to rule a nation. I was bad with people, I tickled their bad side without even trying. I had never been taught such manners I knew were necessary for the Queen, such as how to walk gracefully. The current Queen, Queen Izumi, was the definition of graceful, meanwhile I…

"...you are a sailor on a way to his fifth daily cigarette. _Maybe_ you're trying to hide it from your wife and trying to walk slightly more quietly." my savior, teacher Nikaidou snorted and yawned after my attempt of a graceful walk.

I couldn't disagree, but Nikaidou, who had appeared behind our door one day, carrying a permission marked with the Seiyo's stamp, a permission to insult me on my day offs and call it 'teaching', looked like a drunken beggar. Everything about him was messy from his brown-orange-ish hair to his rumpled clothes. I wouldn't even swear that he just _looked_ like a drunken beggar; while he wasn't a beggar as far as I knew, I suspected that he had given me a lesson or two hangover.

"The thing is, Mashiro, Queen Izumi has the benefit of being a dancer. You have the benefit of nothing at all." Nikaidou reminded me of what I already knew. "Are you even trying to learn?"

I sat down without showing any signs of regret. On my first lesson, when papa had desperately wanted to stay and watch, I tried. I really did. But it resulted to nothing. After that I only got worse. And after the night I snuck behind the theater and met that girl, Nadeshiko, all my motivation was gone. Now that I knew that the Queen's Chair wasn't supposed to belong to me and that the real Queen was everything I wasn't; graceful, beautiful, able to handle people, she had the benefit of being a dancer and actually being a part of the Queen Izumi's bloodline. I was clumsy, short, ugly daughter of workers.

"Mashiro", Nikaidou said in an ironic sing-song voice. "I asked are you even trying?"

"No", I answered honestly.

"Well, you better start trying because you have less than a month until your inauguration. And I won't receive my salary unless you're an exemplary lady."

"Then I wish you luck with finding a new job."

Nikaidou rolled his eyes, sighing.

"Look, neither one of us really cares about this but listen kiddo, sometimes in life you have to do shit you hate. First of all, control your tongue. You might cause a war."

I settled for nodding, having to swallow the remarks I had on Nikaidou's language. Not that I would have never heard worse; I had learnt some rather imaginate insults from the fishermen. And my parents had some impressive anger stored inside themselves too. When it came out in the form of words, it was painfully original.

"Alright, then walk again. This time try not to creak the flooring, your wife might hear and you won't get your cigarette."

And I walked, trying to cooperate with Nikaidou, trying not to be a sailor. I wasn't, not anymore; Nikaidou made up much slyer insults. I was losing the rest of the small focus I had for this crap; my mind was wandering back to the theater, in front of the back door, to the black-haired girl.

Nadeshiko was Queen Izumi's daughter, that meant she should automatically become the new Queen. Why not? She seemed perfect for the job, she was able to at least pretend nice and trustworthy in front of her people, and most commonly the Chair is heritable. There was basically no way to refuse a Chair, still there was some reason for her to do so. It had to be remarkable; maybe she was fatally ill? Had life expectancy of days?

Everyone in the nation knew that Queen Izumi had real influence, maybe she simply didn't like her daughter inheriting her Chair? But if so, why to give up her influence and possibly use blackmailing to make her _son_ the new Jack, the lowest Chair with the least authority? After Nadeshiko's reaction to me asking about Nagihiko, I was quite certain that my future lapdog would be the unreliable Fujisaki twin.

"Pay attention, Mashiro!" Nikaidou snapped. I lazily tried to obey him.

Unironically, Nikaidou was the first one to tell me about the Guardians' inside pecking order. Until that point of my life I had only seen the rulers as public figures and socialites. Basically the Queen and the King were the strongest ones; they had the last word. The King was the leader and the Queen was the leader in shadows. The Ace was the helper who was supposed to bring the Guardians to an agreement when they weren't able to do so. The Joker was in charge of visitations. And The Jack was the defender; their duty was to protect the other four even if it would cost their own life. The Jack was meant to be a soldier; the Jack's Chair was only there for sacrifice, so low it was.

Nikaidou decided to end my lesson for the day because I was slightly more hopeless than any other day. I was pretty sure he would head to the tavern in order to drink away his own hopeless life. I headed in my room and grabbed an old book, full of comical stories and sketches. I stole it from papa when I was small and I had succesfully kept hiding it for almost ten years now. My parents disliked the fact that as I child I grew a preference for comedy instead of things appropriate for a lady, or at least some other, less vulgar form of art. Dancing, for example.

I shook one particular dancer away from my mind. Nadeshiko didn't belong there, and moreover, the fact that she should be the Queen in my place wasn't going to save me. I decided to try and accept my fate, as I had no choice; at least I would be able to help mama and papa with my salary after the Queen's tiara would be placed on my head. I decided to focus on that and that only.

I was able to somewhat keep my word until the much anticipated day of inauguration. When I knew that the rickshaw that would take me away from my life, away from my parents, was waiting right in front of the house we lived in, the panic formed a ball inside my stomach, from where it began to slowly spread to my head, fingers, toes.

"I am so proud of you, Rima", papa held my shoulders, looking into my eyes. I nodded, startling slightly.

"You will make a wonderful Queen", mama asserted.

What lies. Both of them hugged me before pushing me out of the door. I wondered if they would even notice that I was gone; my parents always left for work before I even woke up and returned late at night. I walked down the stairs as slowly as possible, glancing at the different apartments on my way. The creaking stairs, peculiar smells, I was sure this was better than the megalomaniacal Seiyo.

As much as I tried, I wasn't able to drag my feet forever. What felt like a blink of an eye I found myself sitting in a rickshaw, next to a blonde girl who grinned widely at me as we left the workers' area.

"My name is Aina but everyone calls me KusuKusu. I'm your personal maid from this day on, your guardian-ness." the girl introduced herself.

"My what-ness?" I asked.

"It's a word I made up. Do you like it?" the girl's back rounded as she giggled with her hands in front of her mouth. The sound was peculiar, at first I thought she was whispering to herself. _KusuKusuKusuKusu..._

I didn't know what to say. We left the town and rode through a forest until it rised in front of me; the Seiyo. I saw some of the forecourt as two soldiers opened the gates many times my size for our rickshaw. I was sure arriving to a dreamland felt like this; the grass was greener, the plants bloomed more beautifully, the building itself looked as if it was shining in the morning sun, and the water in the fountain that was in the middle of everything was the purest water in the country.

But I knew it was all result of hard work of someone who wouldn't get to enjoy the end result. I wouldn't let myself be enchanted by the perfection. Instead I followed Aina, face rock hard and stone cold, as she lead the lead me inside the building and walked me through what felt like thousands of hallways until arriving to our destination.

Our destination was a room full of dresses, make-up and servants, who were ready to attack me immediately before I could even step in the room. They dragged me in, scrubbed the dirt away from my skin, washed my hair, they even did something to my teeth. Finally they put me in a cold blue dress.

I saw a glimpse of myself in a mirror before I was dragged to the next room. Even though I could tell they tried, I didn't resemble a Queen, not even the slightest. My petite body and round face made me look like a 12-year-old at the best. No citizen with self-respect would obey commands from a kid.

Nikaidou, the light of my life, was waiting me in the next room. The servants pushed me to sit on a chair as he observed me, lazily laying on a couch.

"We reread the inaugural ceremony so many times I expect you to remember how it goes", he announced. "But if you have any questions, better ask them _now_."

 _What can cancel this?_ A voice in the back of my head wanted to know. I shook my head quietly and for once Nikaidou seemed happy with me. He was able to continue laying on the couch in all peace.

Suddenly the lofty doors of the room opened; Queen Izumi walked in, followed by two security guards. I gulped.

She observed me from a far after gesturing for her guards to leave. A small, calculated smile spread on her face.

"You will be such a fine Queen for this nation, miss Mashiro."

"Thank you", I forced my mouth to form the words.

Queen Izumi was here, that meant there was almost no time left. I imagined that the huge panic trying to take over me was a small ball and forced it inside my stomach. It would have to stay there forever.

Queen Izumi placed her hands on my shoulder and guided me in front of a window. Right now it was closed, covered with thick curtains, but soon it would open a way to the balcony of this room. There, above citizens who had gathered to follow the inauguration, I would swear to be loyal to this land and something else, what was it, what was it again…

Even though the curtains looked thick enough to cover the noise of a bombing, I somehow heard the horn toot. It wasn't for me, not yet. It was just to get the attention of the citizens. Someone spoke, and then another toot, for the King.

"I, Tsukasa Amakawa, will now abjure my position as the King's Chair in order to let the new minds see brighter… I, Tadase Hotori, will swear…"

A toot. The King's sceptre was given to the new King. People clapped. A toot. Two guards opened the doors of our entrance to the balcony. I followed Queen Izumi, not believing myself as Nikaidou's voice played in my head: _Chin up, but not too much. Back straight. Focus, dammit._

I didn't hear much of what Queen Izumi said to the crowd. I only felt the eyes staring at myself. I knew what some of them saw, what I would've seen if I was down there where I belonged; red, bruised elbows, harsh eyes, dubious look. A worker bee.

Queen Izumi took the tiara off her head. I knew that it was my turn now. _Stay calm,_ mama would have said.

"I, Rima Mashiro, swear loyalty for this land until the end of my days. I will lead it wisely and do what is the best for my citizens." I repeated what Nikaidou had forced me to read million times, surprising myself by remembering the whole thing.

Queen Izumi nodded as a sign of her acceptance and placed the tiara on my head. It was heavier than it looked like, and I knew the physical weight wouldn't be even half of the tiny thing's true weight.

For the next moments I stood still, forcing the calmness in myself. Happy greeting when the Ace, Yuyu Yaiki or something was introduced. The Joker's name was Ami Himamori, I'm quite certain about that one.

"I, Nagihiko Fujisaki…"

Who. Where had I heard that name before?

"…swear to protect this land…"

Right, Nadeshiko. Nadeshiko, who should be here, standing next to her mother instead of me, a weaving mill helper girl. It was true after all, Fujisakis had somehow arranged the Jack's Chair for Nagihiko Fujisaki. The questions started to spin in my head again. _Why bother?_

"…loyally, even at the cost of my own life."

Silence. The crowd didn't clap. How could they? It was a young boy, promising to sacrifice himself for them if necessary. It would be impolite. This was the first time any Jack had ever acknowledged their position in such a public way. I glanced at Queen Izumi. Her expression remained stone cold, she wasn't looking in the direction of her son; she stared somewhere far away above the crowd.

We all bowed and curtseyed, the citizens applauded for the last time before we exited the balconies. The entrances were closed, curtains were pulled in front of the windows again. Queen Izumi smiled at me one last time before she left the room, the smile didn't reach her eyes. Aina patted my back so violently that the first thing I did as the new Queen was to almost fall down face first.

"You were great!" she asserted as she dragged me through new and new hallways.

"Where are we going now?" I asked on the alert.

"To your own habitation, miss Queen!"

We arrived in front of two huge doors. Aina handed the key to me and forced me to open them. We arrived in a round-shaped hallway, full of doors. There were paintings on the walls and flowers neatly in pots, everything was organized, clean and beautiful.

"And here's your room your guardian-ness!"

Aina made me open one of the doors and I arrived in a room that was around twice the size of the apartment I lived in with my parents. The bed was the size of my old room. My bags had been carried in the room sometime earlier as they were now waiting for me in the corner of the room.

"Thank you, Aina…" I mumbled, staring at the huge room.

"No problem! I'm gonna help you..."

"You don't have to. I'd like to be alone for a moment please. Thank you, Aina."

Aina looked at me, surprised. Then her inhumanly wide grin spread on her face again and she did a exaggerated bow.

"Alrighty! When you need me, just ask for KusuKusu!" I made a decision to never, ever in my life call her that.

As Aina closed the door I walked to my bag. I only had two; I didn't have much to pack anyway. I opened the another one and on top of my clothes, I saw my old comedy sketch book, right where it was supposed to be. I took it, leafed through it, let the old classic jokes to bring a smile on my face again. With the book in my hands I headed to my new window.

The garden. Fountains, plants, no workers in sight. I realized I was still wearing stupid heels, which hadn't helped me to look less puny next to Queen Izumi and kicked the shoes off, frustrated. My feet hurt.

I fell down on my new, way too enormous bed holding my book against my chest and still wearing the cold blue dress and some decorations in my hair. I was simply too tired to take them off, so that is how I fell asleep and that was how Aina found the new Queen the following morning; make-up all over my face, expensive dress rumpled, hairpins wherever.


	3. 3 Meeting Room

My first morning in my new home started with a rushed tour; according to my personal maid I was supposed to see 'everything necessary' - the dining hall, library, common bathrooms - but as succeeding at dragging me out of bed and getting me dressed up ate a good amount of time reserved for the tour, we only took a quick walk in the garden. After that Aina walked me through many stairs and hallways, until we were standing at the end of a quiet hallway, large wooden doors in front of us.

"...And this", Aina panted, still maintaining her inhumanly wide grin. "...is the meeting room and your entrance, your guardian-ness."

What I saw in front of myself was two doors, just as huge as the rest of the building. I had to tilt my head backwards to see what was engraved above the doors; a decorative letter _'Q'_ with the Queen's tiara. Behind these doors was the room where the Guardians made decisions. Ever since the Seiyo was built they had gathered here and discussed about war strategies, budgets and laws. Citizens had to obey whatever they would decide. I took a deep breath. Whatever _we_ would decide.

"Are there more entrances?" I asked, trying not to be confused of where they would fit those.

"Yes, one for each Guardian!"

Aina pushed the doors open and I saw a fairly small, round-shaped room with a round-shaped table in the middle. It had exactly five wooden chairs, each one with a letter engraved in the back rest. _K, Q, J, A, J._

Aina nodded at me. She was more exited than I, for a fleeting moment I thought about pushing her in the room instead. Sadly, she pushed me inside first.

I knew I heard the steps of four other people as I headed towards my chair. Thanks to Nikaidou, I knew what I was supposed to do before sitting down. I stopped three steps in front of my chair, looked down and bowed slightly at my colleagues. They did the same movement at the same time. According to my teacher, this was an old tradition to be done before the first meeting. Most of the traditions in our country seemed to be rather useless, if you asked me.

"So, I am the new King's Chair, Tadase Hotori. It is a pleasure to share this with you." a blonde boy looked at the rest of us one by one with a smile of a golden boy. "I wish to make this nation a better place to live for every citizen. I hope you agree to work hard with me to reach that goal."

I glanced at the King; the skin of his face and hands was free of flaws or bruises. A rich boy. _What a hypocrite._

Everyone was looking at me now. I put on the mask of calmness.

"Rima Mashiro. The Queen." I resisted the urge to add ' _but as clever human beings you already knew that, right? Why else would I_ _be_ _here?'_

"Amu Hinamori, The Joker's Chair." said the girl next to the King as she played with a wisp of her hair. Her voice was shaking.

"My name is Yaya Yuiki, I'm the Ace's Chair!" Yaya Yuiki nearly jumped up and raised her hand, like kids do in school, excited. Her smile was maybe brighter than the sunshine.

"I am Nagihiko Fujisaki and I am the new Jack's Chair. It is a pleasure to meet you all and work with you."

Even the smallest sounds in the room disappeared after Fujisaki's introduction; the Joker stopped playing with her hair, the Ace's smile faded, the King looked confused. Maybe they weren't sure how to react to a person who swore to commit a suicide in the name of the country yesterday, or perhaps the name Fujisaki scared them. My observations about the lowest Chair were that he was a carbon copy of his sibling; long, silky, black-hair flowing down his shoulders, pale skin. And just like his mother, his polite smile didn't reach his amber eyes; he didn't mean any of his words. I regocnized a calculated liar when I saw one.

The King cleared his throat.

"Indeed. So, what are our topics for the first day?"

A servant brought a pile of papers in the middle of the table, another servant placed five pens next to it. They asked us to sign the documents, politely. The King looked confused again as he picked one of the documents, saying that we would discuss about it. The wonder boy stared at his document for a moment, his eyes moved from a line to another. Then he turned to face the servants.

"There must be a mistake. This is says it is already confirmed. It only needs our signatures."

"These were the ones that the government wanted for you to handle today", a servant curtseyed slightly, putting her head down. "Documents are handled with utmost care. There is no mistake."

"But this one only needs our signatures too!" the King tried to object, picking another document from the pile. "And this!"

"There is no mistake."

A silence settled in the room again. The King stared at the servant like a stubborn child, the servant kept her head down humbly. The Jack cleared his throat.

"King, I suppose we should work hard with what we have."

The King stared at the Jack, perhaps coming to the conclusion that being afraid of a dude with silky hair and feminine face was the real deal.

"Right, so let's start, um..."

"Perhaps we should divide the documents. The work will be done much faster."

Before Fujisaki could steal any more of the King's leader authority, he shoved smaller, uneven piles of documents in front of all of us. My pile was remarkably smaller than the Joker's. And we signed, document after another. And another, again and again. The Ace rotated her wrist, yawned and said that she had never seen this much paper. Apart from her we were mainly quiet, focused on doing our new job, ruling a nation.

Hours went by and finally we managed to get every name in every document. The King wished all of us a good evening, and that tomorrow would be more interesting workday. I wouldn't care less if I would keep doing nothing but putting my name in documents; I wouldn't be able to screw that, or at least the odds should be on my side.

Aina guided me back to my room for five minutes and then she walked me to the dining room; it was a hall with wide, long dining tables, made out of wood as everything else in the Seiyo. I sat down in the end of the nearest table to myself; I didn't have the courage to join the Ace and the Joker, who were lively chatting in the another end of the same table. The King and the Jack sat in another tables, not together. Aina brought my meal for me, grinning as always.

"Seiyo's kitchen has the best meals! You didn't hear this from me, but it's all thanks to Su!" she said in a voice of a conspirator, leaning closer to me.

"Who's Su?"

"Su is the best cook in the world! Well, actually she's just a kitchen maid, but", Aina leaned even closer, I felt her breath in my ear, unpleasantly. "she sometimes adds some ingredients in the food and it's always better Su's way!"

I nodded, hoping that Su's additions wouldn't be poison or laughing pills. If it were to be the latter, it most certainly worked well for my maid.

I ate my meal in silence, having to admit that it was the best one I had ever tasted. The only sounds in the dining hall were pings of containers and occasional giggling of the Ace and the Joker. For some reason Aina wasn't there to guide me back to my hallway after I had eaten and after wandering around for a good while, I had to accept that I had lost my way. I sat down on a bench of a certain hallway, sighing. This hallway was way more decorated than mine; the flowerpots seemed to have some sort of an order, the paintings on the walls pictured dancers and performers. A quiet tone was carried into my ears; music. I looked around and noticed a door, ajar. I tried to change my position on the bench to see who was in the room when the music stopped playing.

"Leave."

"Thank you for the lesson."

Footsteps. I considered about running away but that would be just stupid; I was a slow runner and whoever walking out of the room would surely see me. I reminded myself that I wasn't here unauthorized – heck, I didn't even know where I was – I simply got lost.

Someone walked out of the room, closed the door carefully after themselves; and noticed me. Her amber eyes widened as she stared at my petite figure sitting on the bench. Before her vocal cords could form a 'why', I offered an explanation.

"I got lost. I insist I am not a stalker."

Nadeshiko's lips curved into a soft smile. This was the first time I saw her properly without shadows – and she was _beautiful_. Her face seemed perfectly-shaped, the blocks of black hair on a neat ponytail downright flattered her facial features; the amber eyes shone bright surprised of the reunion, lighting up the pale, soft skin. Her lips were painted slightly red, she was wearing an outfit I had seen only in the posters of Fujisaki performances; straight-lined robes falling to the ankle, long wide sleeves.

Before I was able to stare at her any longer, Nadeshiko walked to me and offered a hand. I re-located my eyes from her face to her hand.

"We should go, _Mari_ ", she said, winking.

The fake name made me flush. I forced myself to lay my hand on hers and let her guide me out of the hallway. We walked in silence, I realized the awkwardness of the situation. I asked her what was that place anyway, breaking the silence.

"One of my mother's hallways. I was on a rehearsal", Nadeshiko answered, smiling gently.

"Don't tell me I wandered to the Queen's hallway", I said in disbelief.

"Well, you are the Queen's Chair now so, no, no you didn't. But she does use three different hallways so be careful." she giggled softly.

"Three?" I repeated like a stupid parrot. "And what rehearsal?"

"Yes, three. And I practice dancing for our performances."

Of course, that was only natural. I felt the warmth of Nadeshiko in my left hand, we breathed in the same rhythm, walked at the same pace. I thought about how she should carry the Queen's tiara on her head, I imagined how she would have waved at the citizens with a warm smile.

"Nadeshiko", I said, "Why are you not the Queen?"

She inhaled, chest rising under the robes of her outfit. I looked at her.

"Due to situations", she forced the smile on her face again. It looked so real even I was almost fooled.

"What situations?"

"I can't tell you, I'm sorry."

I wanted to tell her that I deserved to know; I had taken all the responsibility in her place, all the pressure, I had said goodbye to my family and moved in the Seiyo for that reason. But I didn't want to look childish, so I shut my mouth.

"I'd tell you if I could, I am truly sorry…"

"Understood."

As a daughter of my papa, I knew about filthy secrets, liars and how to recognize both of the mentioned. My lucky guess was that Nadeshiko fit both descriptions; it wouldn't be wise to trust her before getting her secret out of her.

She walked me to my own hallway, all the way to my own door and opened it for me like a hospitable hostess. On a whim I asked her to stay with me for some time. She seemed surprised, doubted for a moment but eventually agreed.

"You have a nice room, _Mari_ ", she said as she stepped inside. "Much bigger than mine."

"My name is Rima."

Nadeshiko turned to look at me, black hair swaying.

"I know", she said, "why a fake name?"

I spreaded my arms, shrugging. She smiled.

"How did you even manage to find out about my brother?"

"I used to work at the weaving mill. Some women there talked a lot, all I did was to listen."

That wasn't exactly true. Even though some of the weavers did gossip a lot and they might have mentioned the Fujisaki bloodline once or twice, the real information came from my papa. He had, or at least used to have connections to people who were able to drop a hint and say _'you didn't hear this from me'_ afterwards. When we received the letter with the information of me being chosen, papa started to contact those people – I never knew who in particular - immediately in order to track down the rest of the five. Fujisaki was the only one he succeeded at as one of his contacts said something along the lines _'_ _you didn't hear this from me, but that Queen Izumi… Her child isn't going to be the Queen so she… Remember, you didn't hear this from me… she blackmailed the whole government and the child is going to be the Jack instead! And you didn't hear this from me!"_ We didn't know how watertight this story was, but after papa told me that, I snuck out of the house at night to see the new Jack.

And saw Nadeshiko instead.

"You worked at the weaving mill?" her eyes widened, excited. "Tell me."

"I was there for six months. I carried cotton and fabrics, sometimes I weaved." I said truthfully.

Her lips formed an 'O' as her eyes sparkled in admiration. I didn't understand why; I worked so that I wouldn't starve. But maybe Nadeshiko, as a wealthy girl, saw the same romanticism in working to get food as I used to see in the harbor; that was the only explanation I was able to imagine. I observed Nadeshiko's face again; flawless, taken care of, perfect. Again, she was the polar opposite of me.

"Why are you here?" I asked the question I had left unasked for all this time.

"I live here with my mother and brother, of course", she said, I could feel the _'idiot'_ hanging in the air.

"Your brother looks a lot like you", I noted.

"Well, we're twins." Nadeshiko laughed. "Well? Is he worth all the sneaking?"

"Nah", I gritted my teeth, recalling the Jack's smile that didn't reach his eyes.

Nadeshiko nodded showing her agreement. She stayed for a while until she looked at the clock and rushed away, apologizing. I asked her to come again, she doubted for a moment before she agreed to show up. I didn't let myself be lulled into false feelings of hope or having a friend or whatever; I didn't trust Nadeshiko enough to raise hopes of seeing her again.


	4. 4 Amnesty

Autumn was reaching out its' hands around the nation, making the weather colder again. When I glanced out of my window in the morning I saw gardeners desperately raking the ground, trying to hide the fallen leaves. I was relieved to finally see some proof of the workers behind the Seiyo's impeccable cover.

I discovered pastime in taking walks in the garden. It was the only place where I had seen a glimpse of workers and that was enough to dispel some of the eeriness. I wandered around, looked at the plants turning different shades of red and orange in the cold, sat on benches reading my funny book, thought about inviting Nadeshiko on a walk with me. Sometimes I did have company; my personal maid, Aina. After getting used to her rather peculiar tendencies – making faces at any reflecting surface, talking either extremely loudly or in a weird, whisper-like tone, how she seemed to live in her own bubble, floating in this world oblivious of the human species – I found her easygoing and nice. Aina didn't care about useless formalities, I could be my own, ungrounded self with her; no need for Seiyo-like mincing. She also had one of the most vulgar, twisted and the best sense of humor in the country. We laughed at the most inappropriate jokes when no one else heard.

My life as a Guardian kept revolving around the Seiyo's endless walls, more specifically inside the walls of the meeting room. That was where I spent hours every day – giving my agreement for whatever government was doing using my name. That did bother me; I waited for the day when I would find myself behind bars because of someone else's crime.

The only noises I could hear in the meeting room on a clear autumn morning were the quiet rustle of papers as we placed our pens on them and drew patterns that together formed readable names, accompanied by the humming of the Ace:

" _London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down. London Bridge is falling down, my fair lady_."

When asked what was the London Bridge, she shook her head smiling and said that she didn't know.

Suddenly the King put his pen on the table. One by one we turned our heads in his direction; even I was interested to see what caused this small variation in the boring routine.

"I can't put my name in this." Hotori said, noticing the four pairs of eyes staring at him.

"What's that?" Yuiki asked and reached for the document.

"An amnesty for a murderer?" the Joker read over Yuiki's shoulder.

"He was found in the victim's apartment with the murder weapon in his hand. I can't understand why they wouldn't give him the death sentence", Hotori said.

"Bribery", said Fujisaki.

Everyone turned their eyes at the Jack, who was already focused on signing a new document.

"Don't say that. It can't be true", Hinamori said. "How could a murderer even bribe the whole government?"

"Not the whole government, just the important ones."

"Still, that doesn't make any sense!"

"I am sure that the government has people they would be better off without. And who do they need to get rid of those people? An assassin."

I was sure that Fujisaki knew everything about this particular subject. Hinamori breathed fast, overwrought.

"Do you – you can't believe that he sold himself for the government!"

Fujisaki looked at Hinamori, raising his eyebrows like saying _'May I remind you that you work for the government?'_. She looked down at the floor.

Two weeks passed and I gladly forgot about the incident; until on a sunny, cold morning the bookkeeper – her name was Miki – walked in the meeting room. She handed a letter for the King's Chair, bowing slightly. Yuiki and Hinamori stretched to read over his shoulders as he opened it and read, eyes moving from line to another, increasingly furiously.

"But you didn't even put your name in that!" Yuiki noted, eyes widening, before anyone else could say anything.

"I – I can't believe this", Hotori said, sighing deeply.

"They can't demand that. You can't justify a deed you had nothing to do with!" Hinamori said.

"Mind to share what's going on with the rest of us?" Fujisaki asked.

"The family of the victim of that murderer complained about the amnesty and government wants Tadase to give a speech and justify it!" said Yuiki quickly, clenching her hands.

"There's no way I'm able to do that – I" Hotori swallowed the end of his sentence.

Fujisaki looked at him like a predator observing his prey. He opened his mouth and closed it, a horse chewing hay.

"We'll all help you!" Yuiki shrieked.

Yuiki said that we should all gather in the King's room in the evening after dinner and make up a speech. She herself, King and Joker agreed; me and Fujisaki were expected to show up _or else_. I had little options; clandestinely I had planned to find Nadeshiko and go on a walk in the garden. The disappointment grasped my stomach. _Whatever. Nadeshiko has seen the garden thousand times anyway. Whatever._

So, in the evening I stood in front of two doors; on this side everything was just like the entrance to my hallway – which was just a few steps away – expect from the _'K'_ that was engraved above the doors. I sighed before I placed my hand on the doorknob and opened a door.

The first thing my eyes noticed what that on this side the hallway was nothing like mine; the Queen's Chair's hallway was beautifully decorated with flowers and paintings that pictured more flowers, but the best word to describe it compared to the King's Chair's hallway was _modest_. The King's hallway's walls were covered under paintings of dozens of previous Kings; young and old, confused and majestic; in the end of the hallway stood an imposing fireplace; everything was just like in a museum.

Before I could wonder the hallway any longer, one of the thick, wooden doors opened and the Ace ran to me. She screamed my name and dragged me in a room she had just appeared from.

"Rima-tan has arrived!" Yuiki exclaimed as she pushed me on an armchair.

The announcement was possibly very necessary for my presence to be noticed. Hotori sat in front of his desk with a pen squeezed in his hand, still looking as miserable as in the meeting room and Hinamori was sitting on the desk. Fujisaki was the only one who was both out of sight and out of mind.

"Jack seems to be late so perhaps we should start without him", the King said.

Yuiki and Hinamori agreed; I sat on my armchair. In twenty minutes the three – or maybe more accurately the two; the Ace and the Joker – had produced a grammatically lousy, theatrically brilliant monologue in which they exposed the government for making Hotori to justify the amnesty even though he didn't decide about it and whined about the lack of real authority of the Guardians. Right before they were able to shake hands, satisfied with their job, the door was opened after two careful knocks and the Jack's Chair stepped in the room.

"I apologize for being late. I had something I had to do." _If he_ _is_ _allowed to arrive late, I could've tracked down Nadeshiko and gone on a walk…_

The rest of the Chairs mumbled quiet words of forgiveness. No one seemed too unhappy about him not being present. Fujisaki walked to the desk and looked at the speech, everyone around the table stiffened. I couldn't blame them; I believed that they didn't want Nagihiko to see the speech at all, write it behind his back for one, simple reason; he was Queen Izumi's son. Fujisaki stared at the speech when he finally spoke.

"King, I do understand that this is against your own beliefs. But sometimes you must think whether you should expose the truth right away or protect what you can."

Hotori didn't respond; he stared at the speech, avoiding eye-contact with Nagihiko.

"What are you saying now? That we should write it again?" Hinamori asked. Her tone was almost despising.

"I am not saying you _should_ do anything. I am simply notifying that giving this speech will have irreversible consequences."

"It's just a speech", Yuiki splurged. _A speech that the whole nation will either listen to or read._ "What can they do? It's us they're facing after all!"

She giggled, carefree beyond my understanding. What would we, five adolescents, do against the government? Beg for mercy? On our knees?

"You have a little brother, don't you?"

Fujisaki's tone wasn't mean or ironic in the slightest bit; his eyes had a peculiar look of concern. The Ace gasped and glanced at him, eyes full of disbelief.

The faces of my mama and papa flashed in front of my eyes. Would the government really harm our families just because we had done something against them?

Fujisaki simply nodded at Yuiki before turning to talk to Hotori again.

"King, I understand why you wouldn't wish to hold this speech. But this isn't just about us or who has the authority."

Hotori's shoulders began to tremble frantically as if he was about to cry. Then he suddenly calmed down and stared at Fujisaki, almost challenging.

"The victim was my grandmother. I sent the complaint."

Hinamori exchanged a look with Yuiki, both of them inhaled loudly. I didn't know where to put my eyes. Fujisaki faced Hotori. Oddly compassionate _'I know'_ slipped away from his mouth.

"Then how can you demand me to do this? I can't justify the amnesty for a person who killed my grandmother. She was a defenseless, ill lady", Hotori said in a low voice.

Fujisaki repeated that he knew but was left mouth open as Hotori interrupted him.

"How do you know everything? I've never even seen you before I became the King."

Fujisaki looked like he was of two minds to decide whether he should respond or no; he was still looking at Hotori compassionately, now mixed with confusion, with his mouth open. Luckily, he didn't need to say anything; Hinamori spoke for him.

"He's _a Fujisaki_. We all know that household has their ways to get what they want."

Yuiki nodded her head furiously, pigtails jumping up and down next to Hinamori.

"My grandmother never trusted Fujisakis. You use blackmailing and manipulation as the first option instead of something honorable." Hotori said so quietly it was almost a whisper.

Nagihiko looked from Hotori to Hinamori and Yuiki and finally, me. Unsure of where to look, I stared back. His expression was unreadable; it seemed like the mask of tranquility was about to break, yet at the same time I had never seen him composed like that.

I had heard similar statements about the Fujisaki family for my whole life; everyone knew what kind of household they were and silently whispered about it when they were certain that it was impossible for any of them to hear. Of course I had assimilated everything; Fujisakis were arrogant and cunning, you should run if you saw one.

"I do not wish to blackmail or manipulate any of you", Fujisaki said, voice calm as ever. "I am trying to tell you to take care of what you have left."

With that, he turned around and left the room, bowing either politely or disparaging before exiting. When the door closed I opened my mouth for the first time in the whole evening with my mama's and papa's faces in front of myself.

"Don't be an idiot."

The next morning Aina didn't walk me to the meeting room; we headed towards the King's Chair's balcony. Aina described it as _'just alike your balcony entrance room, just with more King stuff'._ I tried to recall how did the room from the day of my inauguration look like, but the only thing I managed to re-imagine was Nikaidou rolling his eyes at me.

I looked up at the floor as Aina was about to open the door to this balcony room; it seemed unreachable for a short girl. Then, abruptly, Aina turned around, grabbed my right hand and put something in it.

"What is it?" I asked after assuring myself that she wasn't planning to attack me with a pocket-sized knife.

"Su's special", she grinned. "Smile."

I blinked. She made one of her weirdest faces – one that demonstrated how strangely flexible her face was – before turning around and leaving me alone in front of an open door. I looked what she had put in my hand and saw a cookie. The gesture did bring a smirk on my face before I threw it in my mouth.

All my oh-so-dear colleagues were already in the room when I arrived. Yuiki and Hinamori sat on a sofa, trying to stay away from the infectious disease known as Fujisaki, who was sitting on an armchair looking like he was singing his own version of the Ace's song in his head; _'the nation in falling down, falling down, falling down. The nation is falling down and I don't give a_ _fuck_ _'_. Hotori was standing away from the three, holding a piece of paper and reading it with such passion I worried that his eyes would blast. His speech was supposed to start at 12 o'clock; he had fifteen minutes to freak out.

Yuiki and Hinamori patted the empty spot on the sofa as they saw me. With little choice, I sat down next to the Ace and immediately both of them hunched to prattle at me like two chicken whose grains I had stolen.

"This is _sooo_ interesting", Yuiki whispered as quietly as a steam locomotive.

"I think the nation will change after this speech", Hinamori agreed.

 _Mama and papa_.

"But what about what that guy said", I asked, inconspicuously nodding my head in Fujisaki's direction.

"Of course he was lying. He just wants us to follow in the leash of the government and keep his family relevant", Hinamori snorted.

I asked if they were sure, Yuiki rolled her eyes and noted that he was a Fujisaki. I glanced at him and for a fleeting moment I was able to lull myself into the false feeling of security; he was _a_ _Fujisaki_ , a natural born liar, maybe the Ace and the Joker were right. The more I looked at the boy who had crossed his legs and arms and stared out of the window without expressing anything on his face, the more I believed that Yuiki was telling the truth. He was _a Fujisaki_. A manipulating, blackmailing, power-hungry Fujisaki…

 _No_.

Nagihiko could be a moron but _Nadeshiko_ was a Fujisaki, too. Would she do that? Yes. She would form a clever plan and fool everyone to work for her goals and they wouldn't even know. She was a thorough liar. The truth was that I hadn't seen her in weeks, no matter what she said and no matter how I little I believed in her promises. But there was one thing Nadeshiko wasn't; power-hungry. She wasn't the Queen's Chair, she didn't manipulate or blackmail or whatever her way into the Guardians, unlike her twin.

At least that's what the small, stubborn voice in the back of my head that I had been trying to quieten for weeks insisted. Screw _her last name. Hooray, you have one argument against her slyness, congratulations, you win!_

Two servants opened the doors to the balcony and the autumn sunlight filled the room. The King walked to a small platform set up for him. Yuiki and Hinamori snuck closer to see better. _Mama and papa. Mama and papa. Mama and papa, I'm so sorry._

"It doesn't matter what he will say", a soft voice cut my panicky chain of thought. "He can't get it right. It will be made to look bad."

I tracked down the source of the voice with my eyes. Nagihiko was still staring out of the window, I didn't know if he was talking to himself or to me.

"A beginning of the end, you could say. They're not the only ones wishing that."

"What…?" Did he mean that he wished for an end for the Guardians-regime? Or was there someone else hoping so?

Before I could ask, Nagihiko gestured me to look out of the window he was staring at right at the moment the King began his speech. He greeted the crowd silently, I walked to Nagihiko's window.

" _...we justify this exceptional amnesty with..."_

At first I saw nothing at all. Then Nagihiko pointed at a bush and I saw it and every word of the speech became one with the sounds of the wind in the background.

" _...naturally, we are not planning to make this a habit…"_

Armed people. Men, women, boys, girls. Young and old and even children. They carried knifes, arrows, spears, all kinds of weapons. Their movements were careful, they leaned against trees holding their breaths, some crawled on the ground, autumn leaves got stuck to their simple, ragged clothes that covered their faces. All of them moved determinedly towards the same destination.

I heard footsteps, stomping against the marble floor. Security guards. I heard the words _'Seiyo is under a state of emergency. Please follow the instructions.'_


	5. 5 Storytellers

The security guard closed the door and all the light was slowly sucked into the room on the other side of the wall. Well, technically I was inside the wall – the guard had led me to a room that looked like an office; a mahogany table full of papers and books, the smell of dust floating in the air – he had opened the wall with something from his pocket that looked like a small combination of a key and a jackknife. I was told to get in the small, new area, and then the guard left.

I stood in the pitch blackness; no windows, but I was quite certain that I had seen a half-burnt candle on the desk of the 'security room'. I turned around, hoping that I was facing the right way and took a careful step, then another, then I felt how my face hit something warm, meanwhile something very sharp and cold hit my thigh.

"Ow!" said 'something warm' with the voice of Nagihiko Fujisaki and clumsily placed his hands on my shoulders, hopefully in order to avoid losing balance.

"Hands off of me!" I hissed and took a step back after _accidentally_ aiming my elbow between his ribs.

"I apologize, please don't get violent", Nagihiko said. I could almost hear how he rolled his eyes.

I felt aching pain in my thigh; even without seeing I knew that it had been slit a little. Someone had thought it would be a wise idea to give Nagihiko Fujisaki a sword. I saw how a security guard knelt down in front of him and handed him one before we left the King's balcony entrance room. And how he took it with face filled with urge to throw it away.

 _Some moron thought that Nagihiko Fujisaki and a sword would be a good combination._

"Why do you have that?" I asked, pointing at the sword.

"Why do I have what?" Nagihiko asked, unaware of the movement of my finger.

"The sword." _Don't play stupid._ _R_ _ight, you are stupid. My bad._

"Like every Jack before myself, I am the Queen's Chair's personal guard."

"I don't recall asking for a bad joke", I said, hoping that he would take it back.

I knew he wouldn't. I ran through the hallways of Seiyo with security guards and Guardians and each one of them got placed in a room like this one; _with_ a guard. I was in a security room with Nagihiko, the _real guard_ had abandoned me.

"I wouldn't make fun of such an old tradition."

 _Well, apparently the old tradition is after my life._

"Why does everyone else get a professional and I get _you_?" I spit the last word out of my mouth like a piece of molded bread.

"As I said, it is an old tradition, based on a legend of the first Guardians."

Without seeing them, I imagined Nagihiko's eyes at that moment, based on his voice. Sparkling with the enthusiasm he's unable to hide; the look of a storyteller who is overly excited about his own story but pretends that it's just something boring. How he really, really wants to tell it, and will find a way to tell it, one way or another. I knew storytellers.

Too bad his audience happened to be me.

"If you're my personal guard, get me some lights. There's a candle on the table."

I heard a sigh. Inhale. A small thump as Nagihiko took a step against the floor. Swishing of arms as his hand nearly hit my face and landed on my head.

"I am not a candle."

"I thought you were because you light up my life." his voice was flooding with sarcasm.

"Not the time for lousy pick-up lines."

I heard a swallowed laughter which soon turned into a swallowed groan as I aimed my elbow between his ribs for the second time.

Me joining the search didn't make it much faster. It included many _accidental_ hits between Fujisaki's ribs, kneeling down and crawling on the floor in case the candle would've dropped there, groping the wall saying _'I think I found it!'_ , until finally Fujisaki managed to locate the table and the candle. He lighted it surprisingly quickly with the matches next to it; finally the security room was lighted with flickering candlelight.

Now I could see how small the room really was. Along with the table there was a bed, covered with worn-out sheets and a chair. Cramped. Nagihiko sat on the chair, crossing his arms and legs on top of one another. I glanced at the sheets before sitting on them, hoping that they wouldn't include too many fleas.

"What is going on?" I said.

"Rebels. It's nothing too unusual, Queen."

" _What_?"

"They ambush Seiyo every now and then. I believe they thought that King's speech on such contradictory topic would be a perfect timing…"

"No. What rebels?"

Nagihiko's two amber eyes – fallaciously similar to his sister's – stared at me from the corner of the room without blinking. I stared right back with my own pair.

"Oh. So no one told you." he cleared his throat. " _Death Rebels_. Or that's how they call themselves. They are devoted to rebel against the system until their deaths."

"Since when?" this was completely new to me. If I hadn't seen the rebels crawling and sneaking towards the Seiyo I might have rather believed that Fujisaki was lying to me.

"Always, I believe", he frowned. "When there is one system, there will always be the ones opposing it, quietly or loudly. There won't be one without another."

"I never, ever heard about them."

"Of course not. Their existence is hidden as much as possible. The government wishes to limit their possibilities to recruit new rebels."

I nodded. I could understand the government's motives. My mind started wandering to how they exactly quietened them; could it be torture, extreme punishments, blackmail…? Or something else, something unthinkable for me? I decided to push these thoughts in the back of my mind and lock them there.

"When are we going to get out?" I asked.

"When the Seiyo is safe again. But we will always wait four hours for safety reasons."

' _Four hours? Why the hell do they think that I would agree to be locked in here for four hours with you?'_ was on the tip of my tongue but I swallowed it; screaming would only make me look childish. I already knew the answers, too; _safety-fucking-reasons_. I could imagine Fujisaki saying it, tone completely polite, but the corner of his mouth curling slightly up, revealing hidden arrogance and feeling of superiority.

So, instead of yelling I let out a deep sigh, pulled my legs close to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. That's what I had always done when I was just a small kid and my parents fought; I curled up in a ball on my bed and imagined a far-away dreamland where the sun shined on a sky covered with rainbows and my parents held me, their precious only child with warm smiles and everyone loved each other and laughed.

Oh, the imagination of a child.

Fujisaki talked obvious crap, things such as the guards will come to let us out when it's time and that everything had happened multiple times in the past and every times the Seiyo had survived. Well, _apparently_. I successfully ignored him and all the manners Nikaidou had stuffed in my head. I guided my mind towards other, more interesting and less obvious paths, when something in the end of that path hit me.

" _Nadeshiko!"_ I breathed.

I turned to face Nagihiko. All the arrogance and superiority had vanished from his eyes of a horse as he stared back at me; he looked like a frozen statue.

"Nadeshiko must be safe too, right?" I said more calmly, pacifying myself.

Nagihiko blinked twice, as if he only now remembered that he had a twin sister. His expression loosened up and a small, arrogant smile spread on his face.

"Yes, of course. The guards make sure that every person in the Seiyo is safe."

I nodded and looked away from him again. His arrogant smile annoyed me and most of all I didn't want him to see the relief in my eyes.

"Have you befriended my sister?"

That wouldn't be the first wording I'd use to describe my relationship with Nadeshiko. We were more like _'friendly acquaintances'_ , if such thing even existed. I had met her a couple times and the only thing I was sure about her was that I didn't trust her. And just like neighbors or childhood friends we made a promise to see again, but I hadn't seen even a shadow of hers in weeks.

Still, unwilling to discuss this with her twin brother, I nodded.

"How great", even though I saw the smile on his face, I could hear tenseness in his voice. "Nadeshiko doesn't have many friends. She is so busy with her rehearsals."

"She seems sociable." I mumbled.

"Oh, she is kind of timid. Dancing has always been the most important thing to her. It's such a huge part of her life, almost like she only exists for dance."

Nagihiko's tone was weird. He was smiling his false, bright smile and it was clear that no matter how hard he tried, his voice wasn't as merry as his face.

"All of us exist for more than one thing", I said without thinking.

"Do you think so, Queen Rima?"

"I just said so, so probably I do."

A silence wrapped the room inside itself. I wished the clocks would tick faster; four hours felt like a lifetime. I simply decided not to think about the possibility of a rebel somehow managing to find a way to this room. First of all, it should be impossible as we were located inside a thick wall, but if they ever did, oh boy, I would be a corpse, or a hostage, or whatever the rebels wanted from me. At least my _personal guard_ wouldn't be trusted in protecting me; I was easily able to imagine him pushing me to the rebels, yelling _'take her!'_ and running away.

"I take that you wish to know why you don't have a professional." Nagihiko started.

There it was; the storyteller had waited and found a chance to tell his story. I knew that whatever I would say wouldn't have any weight – he would tell his damn legend somehow. I had a bad feeling about it; I expected it to make the four hours even longer. But maybe, just like I knew storytellers, perhaps Nagihiko knew listeners. When I let out a resigned sight, he took it as a permission to begin his story.

"A long time ago, when the first Guardians arrived to this island they saw this town and decided to make it their capital..."

"I know. Is there anything new in your stupid story?"

That was what children were taught in every school of our nation, and what parents read for them as a bedtime story at night, and what had been made into countless stage plays. I was one of those children, of course; it was not like anyone living in this nation could avoid the Guardian legend.

"Fine, fine. I apologize. Let me start again", he said. "Ever since they met, the first Jack had been blindly in love with the first Queen."

"I thought she was married to the first King", I said dryly.

"Yes, you are correct. Please listen until the end."

I rolled my eyes and slumped deeper into the worn-out sheets.

"So, the Jack was in love with the Queen."

The sentence made me uncomfortable even though I knew that he was talking about Jack and Queen who had lived thousands of years before I was even born.

"The Queen was aristocratic ancestry, meanwhile the Jack was just a son of a peasant. This, and especially the fact that she was already married to the King made the Queen anxious when she realized her own feelings for the Jack."

I rolled my eyes without even trying to play polite. Watching my parents had taught me that when you're married, you stay married no matter what.

"But inevitably the Jack and the Queen fell in their forbidden love as they ruled the country together. They made the promise to run away together and meet at the Bridge at midnight in order to leave everything behind."

 _So they were cowards afraid of facing consequences._

"The Jack waited for the Queen at midnight as promised, and she arrived. The two were about to leave, when they heard a familiar voice accosting them; it was the King. He had realized what was going on behind his back at some point and was now ready to pull his sword against his most trusted friend."

I swallowed a chuckle. What _'most trusted friend'_ attempts to steal your wife?

"King and Jack fought and the Jack won. But as he laid on the ground with the Jack's sword in front of his neck, the King pulled his last trick. He threw his own sword at the Queen and the Jack threw himself on the way at the last minute. The sword pierced him and he died immediately. That's how the Jack became the Queen's protector and the lowest Chair."

"That's completely ridiculous. Just because of one man who lived ages ago every Jack has been expected to sacrifice themselves?" I snorted.

"Yes, exactly", said the current Jack, smirking.

"And the story was awful."

"Do you not like the sad ending?"

"Dying for someone else is always pointless." I doubted before I kept going but the urge to kill Fujisaki's smirk was bigger than keeping the silence I was comfortable with. "He didn't need to do that. The Queen could've dodged. But the Jack had to jump in the way and leave the Queen grieve and most likely in a shitty marriage."

"He was in love. Perhaps he wanted to protect the one he loved even at the cost of his own life."

"There's no such thing as a purely selfless act."

"I agree with you there. I believe he wanted to protect the Queen, but he also wanted to save himself from the sorrow that her death would've caused."

I didn't say anything. The thought of having this little tale written in children's books alongside with the rest of the legend made me not question the fact that it had been left out. At school kids were always told to follow the Guardians' example, use them as role models; this would teach the kids to betray each other and die. But naturally, death is what's waiting for everyone one day – why not teach kids early how to die in an honorable way?

If I was my mama or papa, I would scream on my knees, asking _'what else is the government hiding from us?'_. The rebels, this bizarre part of the Guardian legend, the fact that the actual Guardians don't have any authority.

But I wasn't. I had learned to keep my nose out of other people's business, even more so if the _'other people'_ happened to be the government. If I would find out more someday, then be it. If I wouldn't, then be it. If I would have any choice in this decision, I would much rather choose the last option.

"About your sister", I said.

"Yes?" said Nagihiko.

"I want to see her."

The burning and dying candlelight danced over Nagihiko's face, forming shadows and covering everything else expect his amber eyes. I saw how they widened for a fleeting moment, as if he would've seen a ghost, and then the candle flamed out.

"Nadeshiko is indeed very busy with dancing, as I told you. Maybe it would be for the best if you forget about her."

"No. I want to see her tonight after we get out of here. Tell her to come in my room." I insisted stubbornly.

Nagihiko was silent for a moment, until finally I heard a tiny _'yes, Queen Rima'_. After that we sat in the dark security room surrounded by silence for a small forever. I told myself that it was comfortable for me, but not being able to see where the armed Fujisaki was made me undeniably nervous. _He won't kill me. He would be caught immediately…_

Eventually the security guard let us out, saying that it had lasted for exactly four hours as he walked us to our hallways. Even the slightly stuffy air of the Seiyo felt fresh after being locked in the small space for hours, accompanied only by the sound of Nagihiko's breathe.

Fujisaki bowed at me before he entered his own habitation. I, once again, successfully ignored him as I stepped inside of the doors decorated with the letter 'Q' above them. The doors had barely closed behind my back when something wrapped itself around my neck; for a split second I thought that a rebel had been able to hide in my hallway and was now ambushing me.

"Queen!" Aina screamed. "You are alright!"

A small smiled danced on my lips as I hugged Aina, after glancing around and making sure that nobody would see. Aina was acting very unsuitably for a servant and as little as I cared, she might have gotten in trouble if someone tattled.

Aina walked me to my room, unstoppably prattling. She had recovered quite quickly; she was already making her usual weird faces and telling jokes. She was trying to make me smile, I suppose she thought the event had traumatized me, so I kindly smiled.

I refused to let her help me into my pajamas, as some servants apparently did with their Guardian, but slightly reluctantly I let her tuck me in, as childish as it felt. She told me a few more jokes, I genuinely laughed. Then she – exaggerating as always – snuck out of my room.

Immediately when I heard the sound of the door closing, I sat up like a small, overly energetic child. I was glad that Aina didn't kill the lights – less bother for me to light oil lamps again. I sat on my bed as I waited.

And waited. An hour passed. I grabbed my funny book and started to read. Another hour. I laid on my bed, closing and opening my eyes. One more hour. And again.

Nagihiko didn't tell her. Why would he? It was just an order from his Queen, as peculiar as it sounded to me. _That filthy bastard._

More minutes, I closed and opened my eyes again and again. I was more than tempted to fall asleep but something was holding me back. A stubborn, unrealistic, stupid part of me wished…

A knock on the door. I jumped out of my bed and ran to open the door. I almost couldn't believe my eyes, maybe I had fallen asleep and this was a dream.

But no, there she was, silky, black hair settling down neatly on a ponytail; amber eyes sparkling with emotion that I wasn't exactly able to read; perfect lips forming a smile that lit up her whole face.

All the questions moved into the back of my mind, I myself moved aside to let her step into my room.


	6. 6 Royal Garden

"Snow is so beautiful, don't you think?" said the girl with her black hair tied on a ponytail as she watched the first snowflakes fall down from the clouds.

I glanced at the window over the pages of my book and mimicked a bored look. Then I glanced at the girl sitting on the windowsill and nodded. _Yes, if you say so._

She grinned and I immediately knew that I wouldn't get rid of this conversation easily.

"Is there something wrong with winter?"

"My birthday", I said, jokingly.

She tilted her head, the silky hair swung over her right shoulder. She asked when was my birthday, I said February sixth, even though I was pretty sure that she already knew.

"One of the coldest months of the year", she said. "Nowadays."

I wasn't sure what she meant with _'nowadays'_ but I decided to let it slip.

"Fits me."

"Oh, no, I think you have a very warm heart!" Nadeshiko giggled.

I rolled my eyes. Would a warm-hearted person shamelessly use their position – or to be more accurate, the fact that someone else had a lower position than them – in order to get a certain visitor every now and then? Because if so, my heart wasn't just warm, it was burning like fire.

That day in the security room I realized one thing; no matter how arrogant he was on the outside, Nagihiko Fujisaki was still the Jack's Chair. Jack's purpose was to protect, serve and obey the other Chairs, especially the Queen's Chair, which – unfortunately for Nagihiko – happened to be my Chair. If I told him to do something, he would do it because it was his duty.

So, when I twice or trice a week walked up to him and said that I wanted his sister to visit me, he had no choice but to send his sister to my room. At first he was reluctant - _'_ _Nadeshiko has a rehearsal', 'Nadeshiko has a seriously busy schedule'_ \- but the objections slowly turned into tiny frowns between his eyebrows; unwilling looks in the corners of his eyes as the obedient _'yes, Queen Rima'_ rolled off his tongue.

I had no idea why Nagihiko seemed to have such passion to isolate his twin sister. Her schedule was flexible enough for her to arrive every time – although usually at a very unreasonable hour. I waited and waited in my room and when I finally heard the careful knock, the clock had usually passed midnight. Maybe Nagihiko didn't tell her until she was ready to fall asleep, maybe she had some endless rehearsals. Maybe she was secretly hoping that I would be asleep and she wouldn't need to meet me at all.

I never was. I opened the door and she sat down wherever she wanted; armchair, in front of my bed, leaning her chin against the sheets. Windowsill.

My eyes followed the movement of her head as she turned to glance the clock.

"I'm so sorry, Rima, but I must go now. It's already almost 2 o'clock."

I nodded. She jumped down the windowsill, the floor released the smallest thump when her feet hit it.

"See you", she waved at me from the doorway before sliding on the other side of the door. I nodded again at the empty doorway.

" _SNOW!_ " exclaimed Yaya Yuiki with her fingers, nose and forehead glued to the window of the meeting room some hours later.

"We know, Yaya." Hinamori rolled her eyes but was unable to hide the smile that climbed on her lips. "I guess we can't have tea in the Royal Garden."

"But Yaya wants to have tea in the Royal Garden! And play!"

Hinamori talked something about Royal Garden's winter preparations which were probably still unfinished. I stopped listening and recalled what was the Royal Garden; a huge building made out of glass, some sort of a greenhouse. It stood in the back of the garden. Even though everyone were allowed in the garden – everyone who lived or were invited in the Seiyo – the only ones who had the privilege to step inside Royal Garden were the five Guardians and whoever they invited. Despite this, I had never opened the glass door of Royal Garden; Aina was supposed to show me on my first day as the Queen's Chair but because I overslept we didn't have time and after that I completely forgot about the glass palace.

But I was reminded and a bud of a new idea started to grow in my brain. I glanced at Nagihiko who stared at a document excessively focused. He had looked like that ever since the day after the rebel attack; King, Ace and Joker began to perfectly ignore his existence starting from that day. It was no longer tiny, lousily hidden fear of the puppet master Fujisaki – they despised him. I supposed Hotori was mad because he had to give a speech that justified the amnesty of his grandmother's murderer, which I understood. I didn't know what kind of bonds my three colleagues shared, but I was guessing that either Hinamori and Yuiki were upset for their friend or for the speech they wrote – and which Nagihiko prevented from happening.

Even though the idea of ignoring Nagihiko's existence was tempting, I had better use for him. He was my only way to surely find Nadeshiko – and the fastest way.

"Yes, Queen Rima?" he said with the mouth of a lapdog I had imagined before I became the Queen when I walked to him after that day's meeting was over.

"I would like to meet Nadeshiko in Royal Garden today. Preferably at a reasonable hour."

Nagihiko detached his eyes from the desk as he moved them to stare at my face, widened. I asked if there was something wrong with my wish. Maybe Nadeshiko was a vampire and was unable to move during the daytime?

"Oh, no, of course, Queen Rima. Surprising, that's all." if it would've been anyone but Nagihiko, I was quite sure that they'd have said that through gritted teeth.

"Please ask her to arrive there as soon as she is able to."

"She needs an official invitation."

"She needs a what?"

"Official invitation, Queen Rima." Nagihiko had a weird look on his face, a blurred line between jovial and uneasy. "My sister is not a Guardian, so she needs an official invitation in order to be able to step inside the Royal Garden legally."

"What can she get, prison?" I snorted but continued before Nagihiko opened his mouth and corrected me. "Fine, get her that invitation."

"Yes, Queen Rima."

I left the meeting room and walked to my hallway. Aina jumped around me like a creepy clown toy jumping from a box.

"I've heard that the Royal Garden is a wonderful place, absolutely wonderful!" she said as she opened my closet and looked for a new dress for me. She insisted that I should change clothes, just because it was _Royal Garden_.

"Have you ever been there?" I asked, sitting on my bed.

"Nope! I'm not a Guardian!" Aina laughed.

"I see. Would you like to come to wait for Nadeshiko in Royal Garden with me?" I asked. Waiting alone would be boring and I enjoyed Aina's company.

"Sure!" she shrieked. "Thank you, your _Guardian-ness_!"

I reminded her that I told her to call me with my name, she apologized with a sinister grin. After I had changed into a white shirt and a dark blue skirt, I walked out to the garden, locking arms with Aina. She opened Royal Garden's door, happily grinning.

It was truly _wonderful_. Seiyo's garden was known for beautiful plants and flowers, but this was where the most beautiful plants and flowers bloomed. Even though the winter was conquering the world outside of the glass walls, inside them there was no sight of snow or cold. In the middle of the natural color presentation, there was a white, round table with five seats.

I settled down on the chair with the already familiar, engraved _'Q'_ and gestured Aina to take a seat as well. She sat down on the chair with the letter _'A'_ ; the Ace's seat.

"It's fantastic", Aina said.

I nodded shortly. I was unable to get my eyes off of the flowers. Somehow their colors seemed brighter than the flowers in garden; like a magical forest.

"...I never thought they'd make me a Guardian's personal maid – you see, I am not the most talented one at my job and two years, I've worked here for two years, is a very short time for a servant." I noticed that Aina was talking and focused my attention on her.

"I never thought they'd make me a Guardian so we're even."

"But you're an awesome Guardian!"

"Right", _I can write my own name._ "and you're an awesome personal maid."

Aina seemed delighted when the glass doors opened and two armed people walked inside the Royal Garden. Both had their hair on a similar ponytail, but the another one's hair color was closer to a very dark shade of maroon than black. Both held a similar weapon, which I had never seen before; it resembled a stick with a blade stuck on the other end.

"Nadeshiko!" I said.

"Rima, this is my maid, Temari." Nadeshiko introduced. The maroon-haired girl smiled politely and bowed.

Nadeshiko wasn't wearing her usual long skirts; she was dressed in pants and a knit garment. A scarf was loosely tied around her waist. Her ponytail wasn't neat as usual either; it looked like she had made it in a rush, locks of her hair flowed untied. Her eyes weren't sparkling; it was as if someone had extinguished the twinkle behind her pupils.

It was the first time I thought that she resembled her horse-faced brother horribly much – she looked almost more like Nagihiko than herself.

"Uh, this is my personal maid, Aina." I said and clumsily gestured in Aina's direction.

"Temari! Good to see you!" Aina said cheerfully.

"Yes, indeed Aina."

As Temari spoke, she glanced at Aina and something in her soft eyes turned sharp like the blade in the stick she was holding. Aina jumped up from the Ace's seat faster any hare, a sweet look returned in Temari's eyes.

"I'm sorry Rima, Aina, but we can't have tea here right now. We must leave as soon as possible." Nadeshiko said, serious.

"Why?" I asked.

"Rebels have been spotted. Temari, open the door."

"Yes, ma'am", said Temari in a voice sweeter than honey, got something out of her pocket and walked into a bush.

Nadeshiko and I stared at the bush in which the girl seemed to have disappeared into, Aina relaxed her posture; she had kept her back stick-straight ever since Temari had appeared.

"Ma'am, the door is stuck." the sound of Temari's voice made Aina straighten her back again.

Nadeshiko followed Temari into the plant. I realized that the only thing separating me from the attackers if they happened to get to the garden was walls made out of glass. I grabbed Aina's arm and stepped in the middle of the green leaves.

What I saw was indeed a door – a shockproof door laying in the middle of a shrub. Nadeshiko and Temari had jointly pulled it open and behind the door appeared to be an endless stairway leading under the Royal Garden.

Next to me Aina started to tremble. I held her arm tighter.

"These will lead us to a security room." Nadeshiko glanced at Aina. "They're absolutely safe."

Aina nodded weakly but she was still trembling. Was she scared of the dark or small spaces? Was that the reason she never even extinguished the light of my kerosene lamps at night?

"I'll go first. Young Lady, please have our back." said Temari, bowed and walked into the darkness.

Nadeshiko stepped behind me and Aina. We waited for something – I didn't know what – in a nervous silence. In a moment I heard footsteps from the staircase and told myself that it was Temari, not some weirdo hiding in there, waiting for someone to come; a chance to get out…

It was Temari. She was holding two lanterns in her both hands. I looked at Aina, she seemed slightly relieved, not too much.

"We should go now. I will have this", Temari raised the lantern in her right hand. "Young Lady, please take this one."

Temari handed the lantern in her left hand to Nadeshiko, bowed her head and stepped in the darkness. I turned my head to see Nadeshiko, she nodded at me nervously. Biting my lip I half-dragged Aina in the stairway. Hearing the door closing behind myself and the light from Royal Garden disappearing made my heart take an additional beat.

"Is everyone here?" asked Temari's voice.

"I am." Nadeshiko said. I could hear her footsteps as she was catching up with the rest of us.

"Me too", I said rather quietly. "And so is Aina." I added, when I noticed that her body was trembling furiously again.

"The lantern isn't the greatest source of light but please stay brave and follow me. Please do not diverge no matter what."

I mumbled a quiet _'yes'_ together with Nadeshiko. In front of myself the small, flickering source of light began to move. I squinted my eyes and followed it, hoping that my eyes wouldn't fool me. Aina's hands felt sweaty as I locked arms with her, her nails tried to dig a pit into my arm, she still trembled as her breathe sprinted faster. I had no idea what I should've told her; I couldn't say that everything was alright when it clearly wasn't. The only thing I was able to do was to lock arms with her and walk her forward. I had to take care of my maid. She always took care of me.

Nadeshiko walked right behind me and Aina. I felt a bit – very tiny bit – more relaxed when I knew that she was there. Her presence – her aura, as someone would've said – was comforting, calming. I decided to focus on that instead of all the other qualities she most likely had. I decided that for those stairs she wouldn't be untrustworthy, manipulative or anything else alike. I told myself to trust her perfectly until we'd be able to leave the security room. Or at least try.

The staircase wasn't as endless as it seemed from the beginning. Unexpectedly Temari handed her lantern to me, saying that she needed her both hands to open the next door. I barely saw her but the creaks of the hinges told me that both hands were needed; soon I was holding two lanterns as Nadeshiko went to help.

Eventually the door opened and I stepped in to a carbon copy of the security room I had been some weeks ago; a table with a candle, chair, a bed, no windows, shockproof walls. The only difference was that we were underground.

Temari grabbed the lanterns bowing deeply, me and Nadeshiko helped Aina on the bed. Nadeshiko mumbled something about how Aina should rest, how she was safe now and Aina looked at her and believed everything; in no time the sound of soft snoring was heard.

"KusuK – Aina is always very scared during the attacks. She handled it well this time." Temari said.

She had lighted the candle to accompany the lanterns. She was sitting next to the door, holding her stick-with-a-blade-thing tightly.

"What are those?" I asked pointing at her weapon.

"This is _naginata_ ", Temari said sweetly. "These are ancient weapons from the land of _Japan._ "

"I have never heard of such land." I said. Not that I would've studied terribly much geography.

"It was this same land long, long time ago." Temari caressed her weapon smiling slightly.

"What are you talking about?"

I turned to look at Nadeshiko next to myself. She seemed uneasy.

"Well, long before the first Guardians of our system this same island was known by the name of Japan. Then something happened, it's not known exactly what… It could've been a natural disaster or unspeakably destructive war or both, however… Japan was destroyed."

"A whole country just like that? What about the first Guardians?" I asked, my eyes wider than any plate.

"While this is not confirmed to be true, it is widely believed that the first Guardians were survivors from other countries looking from a new, safe home. Whatever happened in Japan also happened in several other countries." Nadeshiko bit her lip. "But there's not much evidence left to prove anything."

"The first Guardians were refugees?" I said.

"The first Queen wasn't", Temari noted.

I looked at Temari again; she smiled a weirdly elegant smile compared to the fact that she was holding a weapon, _naginata_ , in her hands gently as if it was a baby.

"She was from Japan then?"

"Indeed she was – as you probably know, she came from a very remarkable bloodline. Nowadays her bloodline is knows as the Fujisaki family."

My head spun in Nadeshiko's direction again. Now she looked _very_ uneasy; even the last spark had been killed from her eyes. She noticed my stare and opened her mouth to tell me more after inhaling sharply.

"Yes, she is in our family tree."

"The Fujisaki family still runs the noblest, purest Japanese blood in _our_ veins. We've managed to keep the bloodline pure from foreigner blood for all these years." Temari said proudly.

"But wasn't the first Queen married to the first King? Wasn't he a… _foreigner_?" I asked, feeling weird calling one of the first rulers of my nation a foreigner, especially as some people in the room apparently saw the word as a curse.

"The King died and she remarried to a Japanese person after the first Guardians decided to choose their successors." Nadeshiko said, speaking to the wall.

"That saved our bloodline", Temari stated.

I looked at Temari again, then I looked at Nadeshiko; I had doubted that they were somehow related; both had similar facial features, same silky hair, though the color was slightly different, same smile. The elegant atmosphere surrounded both of them, even though another one seemed to be a worker bee.

"You belong to the Queen's Chair", I mumbled.

Nadeshiko's mouth formed an _'O'_ but she quickly closed it, pressing it to a tight line. She must've been at least as upset as I was when I became a Guardian when she wasn't able to inherit the Queen's Chair, a Chair that belonged to her ancestress.

"In our family everything is planned very carefully from schooling to marriages. It is a tradition. I am not the Queen because I am not meant to be the Queen." Nadeshiko said but she wasn't looking at me.

I almost felt like I should've apologized to her anyway until Temari opened her mouth.

"To keep our bloodline pure in the future as well."

The thought of a rich family deciding their children's future starting from schools to spouses for a reason like that made me bitter. I wasn't lucky enough to be educated anymore and the topic of an arranged marriage had popped up inside my family too, several times; how I should get married to a rich man in order to save my parents and myself. But my parents had never been able to discuss it like two civilized human beings and before either one was able to set me up the cursed letter made me the Queen. Well, maybe it did save me from one thing – arranged marriage.

The security room was quiet, expect from Aina's less delicate snoring. Nadeshiko sat down on the floor next to the bed and I followed her like a brainless puppy. Temari cleaned her _naginata_ with her sleeve.

"How come you are a servant if you're a Fujisaki?" my mouth asked before my mind had time to catch on. I didn't like to shove my nose into other people's business; I knew that lead to bad things.

"I am deeply sorry, but that is not your business, Queen Rima. Meanwhile I would like to know how your father, once a respected businessman, was able to lose all his money and drive his family into poverty?"

There it was again, the prove of why anyone should never intervene in someone else's business. All the sweetness was gone from Temari's voice now; her voice felt like sharp blades aimed at me. I knew it was supposed to. Nadeshiko said Temari's name in a incredulous, miserable tone.

Truth hurts.

"Papa gambled." I said quietly.

He also did many other things after he lost most of our money, but I nobody ever told me what exactly was his crime. A new rumor was thrown in my face every time I was unlucky enough to have someone recognize the daughter of a former important merchant. Most popular ones were assistance in a murder and robberies. Surely, people from the _Fujisaki family_ already knew every version of my papa's story, maybe even better than I did.

This was also why making me the Queen didn't make any sense. Why to reward a criminal with such a huge honor and especially with my salary?

I felt a hand on my shoulder – Nadeshiko. She smiled a compassionate smile at me.

"I'm sorry", she whispered. "It must've been tough for you."

I nodded. That went without saying. Nadeshiko rubbed my shoulder gently, I didn't know how to react. I wasn't used to being comforted, I felt childish; I kind of wanted to slap her hand away.

"I'm okay", I mumbled.

"I'm always here for you", Nadeshiko whispered.

 _No, no, you're not. You're only there for me after midnight because I force your brother to ask you to come._

I nodded shortly, Nadeshiko smiled her perfect, white smile.

We waited in the underground security room for a long time, surely more than four hours. Finally Nadeshiko sent Temari to see if everything was alright. She came back around a half hour later, saying that it would be safe to return. So, we awoke Aina – which turned out to be nearly impossible – and left the security room.

Stepping out of the Royal Garden and feeling the fresh breeze felt unbelievably good. I was about to take a deep breath of the night air, but Nadeshiko interrupted my plans very rudely by covering my mouth with her hand and pulling me behind a bush.

I opposed as hard as I could – which for someone my size meant furious wriggling. Nadeshiko looked at me, begging, and for some reason I was paralyzed.

I heard a familiar voice from somewhere behind us; the wind took some of the words away but the meaning of the sentence remained clear.

"I'm sorry… I'm sure I saw the Queen in the Royal Garden… Sooner…"

"It's okay darling… Another time…"

Temari on my right side reached to see who was talking from between the leaves. She quickly dragged her head back down and stared at Nadeshiko.

"It is Amu Hinamori with a _Death Rebel_ , Young Lady." she whispered.


	7. 7 Blinded

" _I'm sorry… I'm sure I saw the Queen in the Royal Garden… Sooner…"_

" _It's okay darling… Another time…"_

Nadeshiko's hand covered my mouth as the two of us hid in the bush, breathing in different paces. I felt her slim body next to mine; she had unexpectedly strong arms; the ponytail swung around me. I saw her trepidation; how she was afraid that any noise would be enough to attract interest from Amu Hinamori and the rebel guy who called her _'darling'_. I was nervous too, to the extent that I was barely able to breathe. Then I realized it was because Nadeshiko's hand was in front of my mouth.

"I would fight on your side if… you know…" Hinamori's voice said.

I was able to hear them clearly after the wind had abated.

"I know, I know."

As the low male voice convinced Joker that he understood, Temari reached to see the two again. She seemed to swallow a gasp when she returned to us, frowning.

"The _Death Rebel_ is… it's him! The government leader, Kazuomi Hoshina's stepson."

"What?" Nadeshiko whispered.

I wriggled as hard as I could in Nadeshiko's surprisingly strong hold to sign the servant and servee to shut the hell up before the government leader's stepson and the Joker would notice us.

"…I don't agree with them, Ikuto. I want to fight with you, I want to be with you." a soft thump. They hugged.

"And I want to be with you, Amu."

Oh, young love – how sweet. _Yuck._

"I have to go now, Amu."

"You will come to see me again, right?"

"Of course, Amu."

Kisses were exchanged and we were able to hear it to the bush. They were getting slightly overly-sweet for my taste. Hugs. New convincing of coming again, footsteps, the stepson of the government's leader was gone. Moment of waiting, Joker ran away as well.

We waited silently in the bush; Aina, Temari and me, held by Nadeshiko. I realized that the blade of Temari's _naginata_ was almost touching my face. Was it there all the time?

"We have to go now", Nadeshiko said, voice not louder than a whisper. Temari and Aina nodded, I was too afraid to. I didn't want a scratch in my cheek.

"So", Nadeshiko said later as the four of us sat in my room; me on the bed, Nadeshiko, Temari and Aina on three armchairs.

She opened her mouth, trying to form a sensible sentence, but nothing seemed to come out. I decided it was my time to help.

"Amu Hinamori tried to get me killed or kidnapped or harmed and has a relationship with the government leader's stepson who is a rebel."

Three heads spun in my direction. One of them – the one with the shiny black hair on unusually messy ponytail – nodded.

"Why?"

"Amu Hinamori seems to be a _Death Rebel,_ though not publicly." Nadeshiko said.

"Then she and that guy are the perfect match", I noted. The others shrugged uncomfortably.

Everyone knew about the government leader's stepson – and his sister. When they were just kids, their father left them and their mother got ill. The government leader, Kazuomi Hoshina, saved the family by falling in love with the mother at the perfect time and kindly taking care of the children. Years later the son – Ikuto Tsukiyomi – made it very public that he hated Kazuomi Hoshina and was going to join the rebels in order to destroy the government, Guardians and him. Soon his younger sister, Utau, followed Ikuto by escaping the house at night and leaving only a note with one sentence behind. No one knows what was written in that note – or if it really existed. There was many versions of the story of the Tsukiyomi siblings; in one of them Utau became a dark angel and flew out of the window.

"Amu is putting herself under a huge danger", Nadeshiko said quietly. I nodded along with Aina and Temari.

In this nation even knowing a rebel without handing them to face their lawful punishment was punishable. Rebel as a lover – it probably meant many sleepless nights spent hugging the pillow, soaking it in tears and hoping that it would be the _'significant other'_ , sneaking out of the house knowing that it was dangerous but secretly find it thrilling as the excitement bubbled in stomach, lies, adventures, doubting…

In the real world it meant that both Hinamori and her rebel were morons.

Anyone who had an idea about their neighbour rebelling but wouldn't hand them over to the government was mercilessly executed with their neighbour; even the smallest flame of the rebellion would be extinguished in a big way.

"I believe we are all tired now. Let's rest now and talk about this later." Nadeshiko said, putting her hands together and forcing a smile. "Besides, I want to see my brother. He must be worried about me."

Right, Nagihiko, my _'personal guard'_ , whom I had perfectly forgotten about. I looked at Nadeshiko; her messy ponytail and _naginata_. Why was she there instead of a real security guard or Nagihiko? Of course I much rather took her than a guard or her brother but something seemed off.

I decided to ask. As an answer I got the bent blade of Temari's _naginata_ pointing at my throat from the other side of the room.

"Young Lady heard about the rebels and ran off her rehearsal to rescue _you_ and you are going to complain? Where are your manners, _peasant_?"

"You did?" I asked Nadeshiko, who looked uneasy, to say the least.

"Guard came in the practice room in the middle of my rehearsal to warn my mother. I knew that you were alone in Royal Garden, I asked Temari to come with me and take weapons just in case. That's all."

"What about security? They would've checked Royal Garden if you told them, right?"

"No, not necessarily." Nadeshiko said slowly. "Some security guards work for my mother, but most of them work for the government. And the government doesn't like the Guardians any more than _Death Rebels_."

I felt like I should've understood that much. The government did all the work but Guardians took all the entitlements; we took their work in our names, even though it wasn't up to our decision to do so. But it was whispered, people told stories under their breath – about who truly controlled the government.

"Does your mother like the Guardians, then?" I asked.

Nadeshiko looked at me with surprised eyes, tired eyes. Next to her, Temari looked at me ready to disembowel me.

"No", Nadeshiko said what I had expected her to say. "But Rima, that is a long story. Some other time, please."

"Yes, of course, Nadeshiko. Thank you for coming." I inhaled and added; "I still think that you would make a brilliant Queen."

"Oh, no, never." Nadeshiko smirked. "Oh, and I know that my brother wanted to protect you but he had no choice. Believe me."

"So, Nagihiko knew that you were there with me?" I asked. Sending your own sister to replace yourself on a such task seemed highly bizarre.

"No, it's complicated. I know my twin."

"I think you did better than him. He seems to be a scaredy-cat." I said.

"Queen Rima…" Temari started angrily and pointed me with her _naginata_ again.

"Oh, he definitely is a scaredy-cat. The worst one I know." Nadeshiko laughed, cutting Temari's threats. "Good night."

She could've as well said _'good small hours, you'll have to be awake in three hours'_. And fifteen minutes, if I wanted to be exact and add how much Aina was late. She was already full of energy, despite the black circles that were forming under her eyes, meanwhile I was still half-asleep when I walked in the dining room for a quick breakfast.

"I¨m _sooo_ excited!" Yuiki sat down in front of me, dragging Hinamori with herself. I found it difficult to look at the pink-haired girl.

"Why?" Hinamori asked my question. Apparently sneaking during attacks ate energy just as much as experiencing one – Ace was an exception – and both of us had forgotten something important.

Yuiki looked at Hinamori, shocked. I looked at the two of them waiting for some kind of an answer, curiously. Maybe it was a chance to skip endless work hours in the meeting room, public appearance or something else stupid. It had to be remarkable because Yuiki and Hinamori sat with me; they avoided me almost as much as they avoided Fujisaki, because I didn't _necessarily_ avoid Fujisaki. I only talked to him because it happened to be necessary, though.

"The Temple Festival!" Yuiki shrieked.

Hinamori agreed with her, a smile spreading over her face. I tried to remember if someone had mentioned anything about this to me, but I couldn't.

Temple Festival was held four times during one year; Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, one festival per season. Four times a year performers, booths, sellers and a massive amount of people – in spite of their social class – gathered around the temple to celebrate the nature's awakening in Spring, or the beauty of Summer, or the colorful canvas that Autumn was, or the peacefulness of Winter – or to try and earn some money by building a booth.

"Today is the Year-end Festival!" Yuiki continued. "And the Guardians will be there, as always!"

Of course – Guardians always made an appearance at Temple Festivals. Those were the only times they – _we_ – landed among citizens from our highness to celebrate and appreciate each season. During the Year-end Festival that was held on the last day of each year we were allowed to celebrate until the first minute of the new year's first day as long as we acted dignified and venerable – with our guards, of course. That was everything I was able to remember from my lessons with Nikaidou.

Across from me Yuiki and Hinamori had absorbed into a conversation about their outfits, which booths they wanted to visit, how to distract their guards. My greatest worry was to manage to act like a respectable Guardian – I knew how to boss people around if necessary, but I had no idea how to be _dignified_ and _venerable_.

"I hope that my guard will be that cool dark-haired one with glasses", Yuiki said in a dreamy tone. "He's a bit too serious, though."

"He's a guard, of course he's serious", Hinamori giggled. She didn't need a handsome guard.

And it would be useless for me to worry about such matters as well – I already knew that my guard would look like a brain-dead horse. With perfectly shiny mane. I would be forced to spend the festival with Nagihiko Fujisaki - I didn't even want to think how boring that would be. But at least I would get out of the Seiyo, yes, that was the most important part.

Hinamori leaned herself closer to me over the table, I felt a slight desire to lean away from her.

"If you guard does something unsuitable, just rely on us."

 _Oh._ So this was why they sat with me. They let me know that if Nagihiko would lay a finger on me, they would be there to defend me and destroy him and watch his family fall. I put on my best innocent grin.

"You shouldn't worry about that. Nagihiko is a perfect gentleman, he wouldn't do anything to me." I wanted to hit myself with every syllable that flew out of my mouth to blend in the air.

"You'd think so, but don't forget that he's a _Fujisaki_ ", Hinamori whispered the last name like something that she should never be saying aloud. For example; _'I want to fight with you, government leader's stepson, rebel'._

"Again?" I rolled my eyes, stupidly. "Fujisaki, Fujisaki. Always the last name, your family doesn't define who you are, shouldn't you know that?" I couldn't resist one sharp remark that sounded coincidental enough.

"Maybe that's true but they're different. I should know", the tone of Hinamori's voice changed to somewhat cocky. "I once had a best friend from that family and she betrayed me in the most painful way."

Yuiki nodded next to Hinamori in agreement. I couldn't hide how my eyes widened for a split second. _Fujisakis are a big family, or at least so I'm guessing._ _She must've had chances to meet other friends from that bloodline..._

"She lived here, me and Yaya knew her for all our childhoods. We played together and I used to tell her all my secrets, until one Spring morning she was just gone. All that was left of her was a letter."

"And what was in that letter?" I asked. Letters, letters, it was always letters and notes.

"Nothing much. She said she'd be back after one year and I'd see her in a completely new shape. So I waited patiently, but after one year she never came back. I waited two, but no. Now, after six years her twin brother is here but not her or explanation."

That was it, after all. Hinamori and Yuiki were friends with Nadeshiko in the distant past; and not just any friends, _best friends_. But Nadeshiko was in Seiyo, I knew that for sure. She practiced dance here, she lived here, so why she didn't let her _best friend_ know?

"And what's even more peculiar is that we never saw Jack before inauguration and Nade never mentioned she had a twin either", Yuiki added.

"So they were raised separately", I said. _'I know my twin.'_

"Apparently", said Hinamori. "But the point is, you shouldn't trust anyone from that bloodline for your own good."

"This is like wild conspiracies." I forced a tense smile. "Whatever."

Hinamori and Yuiki burst into counterarguments when I stood up and turned my back at them. Their voices quickly began to sound like birds chirping in the distance. I walked to my room and let a crew of servants attack me on the doorstep; they would prepare me for the Temple Festival, or so they said. I didn't care, I let them measure and wash and comb. I couldn't evict what Hinamori told me. I hated people who broke promises, was Nadeshiko like them? But on the other hand, six years ago Nadeshiko was just a child, did she even have any power to make choices over her future back then? What about now?

Hours later my make-up was applied, my hair was perfectly combed and a pretty band was placed on my curls and I was dressed in ice-blue dress. I was taken in the lobby where I waited for our ride with my colleagues. I noted that Hinamori and Yuiki focused on giggling together; they weren't interested in my company anymore. Nikaidou and some other teachers walked around reminding us about manners and how to wave, servants kept checking that the Jack's sword was carefully covered under Nagihiko's checkered, long coat. Yuiki's _'it's heeere!'_ informed everyone about our carriages arriving, and all of us were stuffed inside relatively small horse carriage. Naturally, I was put next to my so-called personal guard – and was extremely uncomfortably as I the carriages jumped or jolted even the slightest bit and I tried not to crash against his arm.

We were taken behind the temple for my surprise; I was used to enter from the front door, or at least try. Usually me, mama and papa were left in the back of crowd; standing at the door, trying to see the priest as they opened the festival. The Guardians wouldn't be in the back of the crowd; we'd be in the seats closest to the priest, right in front. I glanced around myself like an excited child; this was the first time I really saw the temple. I understood to stop when the priest walked in the front and began the ceremony.

"Do you think Tadase looks like his dad?" I heard Yuiki whisper a little too loudly.

"I don't know, maybe…" Hinamori replied just as loudly. I noticed how Hotori on my right side turned his head to _look_ at the two girls who naturally couldn't see him.

I leafed through my memory, remembering that before my inauguration there really was an announcement from the temple; the priest Yui's son wouldn't continue the family's tradition; every priest and priestess of the temple had been from the same bloodline as long as anyone was able to remember, and longer. Priest Yui had recently taken over all ceremonies, when his mother, priestess Chika, became too ill to perform her tasks as a priestess - and then the poor lady was killed. Mama, among many other citizens had expected priest Yui's and his wife's son to join the ceremonies soon, but instead the announcement was delivered. Explanations came later, during the inauguration of the new Guardians.

After the ceremony arrived the much awaited moment; freedom for the five Guardians. We exited the temple, trying to look respectable and whatever, letting the citizens gorge us with their eyes, but after we left the temple, everyone separated on their own ways. Yuiki and Hinamori disappeared in the crowd and I couldn't help but wonder if Hinamori had arranged a meeting with her rebel, Hotori returned inside the temple, probably to spend time with his family, and then there was me. Me, who stood in front of the temple's doors, and Nagihiko stood right behind me.

"So, where are we going?" I forced myself to say.

"You may decide, Queen Rima", Nagihiko said.

I started to realize just how boring the Year-end Festival was shaping to be. I'd awkwardly stand with Nagihiko all night, the only night I got out of Seiyo's gates. How much money would it take to bribe him walk in different direction? Or look away for five seconds so I could walk in different direction?

Way more than my savings, I supposed.

"Let's go that way", I muttered and tried to vanish into the crowd.

But Nagihiko followed me like a shadow or the stray dog I made the mistake of feeding when I was a child. It followed me for a week until it disappeared. I believe it died.

"Queen, how about this booth?" Nagihiko shouted from somewhere behind me.

People around me stopped doing whatever they were doing and admired their Queen and their Jack, asked each other if we were really there. I, embarrassed, slipped to the booth that Nagihiko was pointing and wanted to hide under it. The seller looked like he had received a gift from heavens.

I looked at the booth and saw – _comedy_. A clown doll that jumped out of a box, piles and piles of books, small statues in bizarre positions. I nodded pressing my lips into a straight line. I tried to recall telling Nagihiko my liking of comedy, or perhaps Nadeshiko told him? I grabbed a book – the seller looked blessed – and paid for it before Nagihiko could play the gentleman and offer his money.

We wandered around without destination. Sometimes Nagihiko pointed this or that booth, probably more in order to please me than himself; he didn't seem the slightest bit interested in handmade jewelry, he didn't eat the homemade sweets, he wasn't fascinated by the firebreather, both of us snorted at the loud future-teller who predicted happiness for children and death or misfortune for everyone above the age 11. In a way it was fair; I followed him even though I couldn't have cared less, but the difference was that I ended up having fun at each booth. Perhaps, if both of us were having fun, I wouldn't have been comfortable because Nagihiko was _weird_. In a way I thought him as my enemy. But on the other hand he gave in and helped me to meet Nadeshiko when I wanted to. And a part of me did feel bad for him when the Guardians ignored him, and when I myself used him.

"Choose something that you actually like now, please", I said.

Nagihiko looked at me, surprised. Then he nodded slowly and headed into the crowd. I followed him, people dodged me if they noticed me. And they did; even though everyone wanted to look good at festivals, nobody had as expensive clothes or careful make-up as the Guardians. I missed the dress I wore last year, even though I couldn't even remember how it looked like.

I realized that Nagihiko had stopped in front of a small stage. I stopped next to him and saw – a dancer, of course. But clearly not an usual dancer, she was dressed in a long dress with wide, wide sleeves and in her hand she had a fan. Every turn of her head, raise of a hand, every movement looked so carefully practiced and so beautiful that I felt almost confused. Breathtaking.

"She's my relative, I promised to stop by her performance. It's her first, I've been excited for her." Nagihiko leaned to whisper in my ear. I nodded shortly.

It wasn't until then when I realized who the girl on stage, her face under heavy make-up, was.

Temari.

"I think I've seen her in the Seiyo", I whispered, and added; "She's really good."

Nagihiko's smile was bright, _blinding_ , like the sun when you watched straight at it and annoyingly see it everywhere for some time.

"Isn't she?" he beamed.

I nodded and clapped with the other watchers and Nagihiko. Temari left the small stage, me and Nagihiko continued wandering. But now he was delighted, he talked about performing, dancing, way too familiar. But I obediently listened; he was also talking about Nadeshiko's weekdays.

"I never knew Fujisakis performed here", I noted. As far as I knew they performed in theaters.

"Oh, we don't." Nagihiko said, sounding uneasy.

"But that girl just did", I said raising my eyebrow.

"Well, technically she shouldn't perform. This was most likely her first and last performance." Nagihiko replied, reaching for the carefree tone. "Uh, Queen Rima, please keep it a secret that you saw this performance… Please."

"Just tell me why." I wouldn't keep a secret without even knowing the reason for it.

"Due to… _conditions_ , she isn't allowed to perform. But I knew how much she loved dancing, how talented she was, so I helped her to practice this choreography and booked the stage. With a fake name, of course."

I nodded slowly, staring at Nagihiko. I didn't know whether his help made him very kind or very sly. Was dancing and performing really such a huge deal for Fujisakis?

"I'll keep your secret. But please tell me another one."

Nagihiko looked disappointed when I told him what Hinamori and Yuiki had told me in the dining room – I couldn't quite catch, why.

"Oh. We were raised separately for our training. I was raised overseas until I recently moved here, Nadeshiko was raised here for her childhood and then she moved overseas as well. I guess she thought she'd only stay for one year. I can't speak for her, of course, but maybe she's afraid of Amu's reaction."

I nodded and then I questioned myself why I even asked Nagihiko. I could ask Nadeshiko soon, when I would see her again, she'd give me a proper, accurate answer.

But maybe for a fleeting moment – that exact one when Nagihiko smiled _almost_ as beautifully as his sister and talked with _almost_ as much passion – the twins had been like one person for me. But just almost, or maybe not even near, because even if they would be _identical_ twins, Nadeshiko would still be Nadeshiko. Nobody would speak with such power, enchanting others listening to her; nobody would have her unique beauty, or her oddly pacifying eyes with that mysterious little spark. No one, never.


End file.
